Jack Moylan was not involved in Lincoln City's final pre-season fixture on Saturday, with the midfielder's potential switch to Cardiff City dominating talk around the club. The Imps ended their warm-up programme with a 3-0 defeat to Barnsley, and BBC Lincolnshire reported before the match that the Irishman would sit out because of the speculation.
First summer signing in sight
Earlier in the day, reports emerged that Cardiff were edging closer to a deal for Moylan, who impressed at the LNER Stadium last term as Lincoln won the League One title under Michael Skubala. With Skubala no longer at the club, an exit for the 24-year-old is now a real possibility, and completing a move would make him the Bluebirds' first signing of the summer.
Shaw and Barry-Murphy respond
Lincoln head coach Tom Shaw was asked about the situation after the Barnsley game and stressed the matter was being handled at club level. "That's with the club, the Jack Moylan situation," he told BBC Lincolnshire. "Something has been reported on social media, that's just with the football club. We are aware there is something going on. That situation is with the football club."
Across at Cardiff, Brian Barry-Murphy faced questions on his fellow Irishman following a 4-1 friendly win over Roma. The Bluebirds boss refused to be drawn on a move but did not hide his admiration for Moylan, who signed a three-year contract extension in March. "I know the player really well," Barry-Murphy said. "He had an amazing season at an amazing club and they were better than us last year. I congratulated them on what they achieved, but he's not our player."
Setback in Hjertø-Dahl pursuit
Cardiff appear to have hit a snag in their attempts to sign Jens Hjertø-Dahl, with Hull City now competing for the player. When asked for a general update on transfers, Barry-Murphy said: "Nothing yet. I'm just working really hard to focus on the team and leave the recruitment side of things to the people behind the scenes."
